Introduction

Why learn about Africa?

‘The Continent of Africa - A Primer for All Ages' is designed to offer an accessible gateway to learn as much or as little as desired about a vibrant region too often obscured by stereotypes.

Why should anyone be interested in learning about Africa

In 2003, a business trip took me to Cairo, Egypt. I was very excited about being able to spend a few days in Egypt – in a part of the world I knew very little about. Being in such a historic city, staying at a hotel along the Nile River, sitting on a camel in front of the Pyramids, which were built 4,500 years ago, inspired me to start my education process. Equally inspiring to me was the friendliness of the Egyptians to a vistor to their country.

To truly demonstrate the kindness of the African people see Photo 4 below. What you see is a carving of a mother elephant with her calf. A young African student sent me the gift after meeting him on a flight and having discussions about African and his country. It was very generous of him and most appreciated by me.

Photo 1 – Upon opening the curtains in my hotel room, my view was that of the historic Nile River.
Photo 2 – Upon walking across the Nile that same evening I met a man fishing off the bridge. We chatted for ma few moments about his fishing success. Take a look at the smile on his face. The people in Egypt were so welcoming and friendly.
Photo 3 – A photo at the Pyramids at Giza. I never knew the Pyramids were within a few miles on downtown Cairo, not did I know they were built about 4,500 years ago.

Until I started collecting information to include in this document, I thought I knew quite a bit about Africa. In reality, I realize I know so little. I plan to continue building my knowledge using the information found within this document.

So why would anyone want to study the African continent?

Below are selected quotes oj this question. I am not trying to convince anyone to learn more about Africa. I am just providing a tool if you decide you wish to do so.

"Africa is not a country, but a continent of immense size, diversity, and historical depth—to study Africa is to study the story of humanity itself."

— Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. - (Emmy Award-winning historian, literary scholar, and Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University)

"Until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter."

— Chinua Achebe - Renowned Nigerian novelist, poet, and professor, celebrated as the father of modern African literature)

"Humanity was born in Africa. All people, ultimately, are Africans. To know Africa is to understand our common origin."

— Dr. Richard Leakey - (World-renowned paleoanthropologist, conservationist, and former Director of the National Museums of Kenya)

"Africa is central to the global economy, to global politics, and to the future of our shared environment. We cannot understand the modern world without understanding Africa."

— Kofi Annan - (Ghanaian diplomat and 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate)

"You cannot leave Africa. It is always with you, like a heart beating inside your chest."

— Maya Angelou - (Celebrated American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist)

"I am not African because I was born in Africa, but because Africa was born in me."

— Dr. Kwame Nkrumah - (Pan-African visionary and first President of independent Ghana)

As scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. noted, "Africa is not a country, but a continent of immense size, diversity, and historical depth—to study Africa is to study the story of humanity itself."

Echoing this sentiment, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan emphasized that "We cannot understand the modern world without understanding Africa."